
Prior to this past weekend we had been to the school twice - once for an Open House visit and another time for Accepted Students Day. Both times the weather was less than desirable so I was definitely looking forward to seeing the school in a "better light". We were actually told that the weather was the best it has ever been for Orientation Weekend so I'm going to take that as a positive sign for Amanda!
The day started out very early as we left home around 6:45 to meet up with my friend Andrew at his home in Plainfield. Andrew had graciously offered not only the use of his truck but also himself for the move and I can't begin to tell you how grateful for that I am! The agenda for the morning called for Amanda to ride up with Andrew while I took Jamie up to Shirley, Massachusetts where she was going to spend the weekend with her cousins. After depositing Jamie in Shirley, I would then meet up with Andrew and Amanda in Beverly. Had it not been for the road construction in Worcester that someone thought was a good idea on a Saturday morning we may have actually all arrived in Beverly right about the same time but by the time I got there, Andrew had his truck unloaded and was just waiting for me so that he could haul up Amanda's stuff that was in my car.
This is Amanda's new home away from home until next May and as it happens, her room is on the third floor. See those open windows in the dormer over to the left? That would be her room which you access via four flights of stairs. Four. Flights. Of. Stairs. Thank God and all his angels (as well as his wife!) for Andrew as I am sure I would have been about near ready to die by the time Amanda and I got all her stuff up to her room!
When I pulled in to the driveway, the first thing Andrew told me was that everyone thought that he was Amanda's Dad which I guess was an honest mistake being that it seemed every other kid in the house had a complete set of parents and even a sibling or two. He then told me that Amanda was a bundle of nerves which really didn't surprise me at all; she's very much an introvert in spite of her hair and the way she dresses. Heck, the kid can't even go up to the counter at McDonald's without getting all nervous! Anyway, I'm really hoping that living in a house with seven other girls will help her overcome some of that and that she'll find some new confidence in herself.
The pictures above are some of the inside of the house and another shot of the front of the house. They've got a big living room complete with a working fireplace, a formal dining room in addition to the dining nook that holds a second refrigerator, and a good-size kitchen. On the third floor are two big bedrooms housing two freshmen each and then the two sophomores and two seniors who also live in the house occupy rooms on the second floor. I didn't get a chance to take any pictures of Amanda's room as it was in a bit of disarray between she and her roommate but she's promised to send me some via cell at some point in time.
After Amanda thanked Andrew and gave him a hug goody-bye she started to put away some of her belongings while I went over to the local Stop & Shop to get her a few more groceries including the perishables that I wasn't about to bring up in the car. Each girl gets their own space in a pantry and also their own space in one or the other of the refrigerators. I get the feeling that once they all get to know each other, there will be some sharing going on but until then they each needed their own food to get them at least through the first few days.
At 12:00 students and parents and other assorted family members and friends walked over to the Beverly Common, which is directly across from the very nice Beverly Library (pictured above) to have lunch. If you face the library, Amanda's house is just across the street from it on the right so it's a short walk over to the Common and the Hardie Building, which is the main building for the college. I get the feeling that the students make good use of the Common and it was the ideal spot for everyone to gather for lunch.

Her roommate seemed very ill at ease and uptight and even blew off part of her Orientation later in the afternoon so that she could take a nap. Amanda told me on Sunday that the other girls in the house were baking a cake for her roommate as it was her birthday and she was having some trouble adjusting as she had been home-schooled and this was her first foray out into education outside of the home. That would certainly explain a lot and I sure hope she's able to adjust and make a go of it. She and Amanda are about as different as night and day but in the long run, that may be a very good thing - for both of them.

Following lunch, the students were shepherded off to get their house keys and attend to a few other bits of formality while we parents and other family members took a walk down to the First Baptist Church for our orientation session. The theme was apparently "Letting Go" and as school administrators talked about how we needed to give our kids the time and room to grow I found myself actually getting a little teary-eyed and hoped that wasn't going to be a problem when it came time to say good-bye to Amanda. I had this notion that if I were to stay strong then so would she. Besides, it wasn't the first time I'd bid any of my kids good-bye like it was for some of the other parents surrounding me and I figured that leaving Amanda at college was going to be loads easier than putting her on a plane to her father's house! I'd had plenty of practice saying good-bye to my kids in airports so this was going to be a cakewalk as far as I was concerned!

As the President wrapped up his speech, I knew it was going to be time for me to give my oldest daughter a hug good-bye and wish her well. As we walked back over to her house, the mother of another student named Claire that Amanda had befriended told Amanda "I just love your Mum's shirt" in a very nice British accent (seems that there are more British Claire's then just the cheeky red-head across the pond that I know!) She was referring to the Doctor Who shirt that I had worn for the occasion which Amanda had to tell her was really hers and not mine. Considering I was wearing the shirt home and it wasn't staying at college, I'm going to claim it as mine until such time as it's not!
Still, it helped put a lighter spin on the moment and after giving Amanda several very long hugs and telling her to make my former retirement fund proud, I waved good-bye and shouted out "Allons-y Amanda!" For those who are not Doctor Who fans, "Allons-y" was a favorite expression of the Tenth Doctor played by David Tennant and it translates from French to "Let's Go!" I have to admit that it made leaving at least a little bit easier without any tears at all so thank you Doctor Who from the bottom of this mother's heart!
Finally, because I take way too many pictures, here are some of Montserrat and the surrounding bits of Beverly that are nearby. My only complaint with Flickr slideshows is that they don't show the captions but I guess if you really want to know what a particular picture is, you can click over to the set itself and check the pictures out there. If not, let's just suffice it to say that it's a nice place in Massachusetts with some interesting buildings!
Oh, and as of this writing, I'm going to guess that Amanda is doing just fine as I've barely heard from her except for two short calls and a couple of text messages. We were told at Parent Orientation that's a good thing but I gotta admit, it's going to take some getting used to - in a good way of course!
Sounds like A found the perfect college for herself! I hope she's have a great time, and learning lots. Had to LOL at the "make my retirement fund proud", it's something my dad would say, had he actually paid for my college. :)
ReplyDeletewow, I love this post. I love the the house that Amanda will be staying in. Lucky her. I know she's going to do very well. Those college years are so memorable.
ReplyDeleteHoly Rip, Linda! Walking up four flights of steps alone -not even carrying anything at all -would have been killer time for me and my warped old legs, especially my right knee! And it does seem, don't 'cha think, that you and Amanda both have a penchant for friends with the name of Claire. The house Amanda now calls home does look really nice though and here's hoping the year ahead goes as smoothly as is possible for any freshman year.
ReplyDeleteamanda is going to have great legs! wonderful post!
ReplyDeletesmiles, bee
xoxoxoxoxoxo
I just love that house! What a great dorm! I just know that Amanda is going to do great things! It may take her a semester or two to figure out that she's having the time of her life, but I am absolutely sure that she will!
ReplyDeleteBig hugs :)
Holy cow! What an awesome first place!!! I hope Amanda knows how lucky she is-my first dorm was nasty!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited for her. This is going to be GREAT!
BTW-please let Amanda know that if she ever needs anything she can call me. I'm not too far away. :)
How wonderful. A new page in the life of adult Amanda. It's a wonderful thing.
ReplyDeleteHave a terrific day Linda. 178 more days until our cruise. Big hug. :)
Hi Linda,
ReplyDeleteI met Amanda, and I hope you, on move-in day. Your blog about the day is great. Was wondering if okay for the college to link to it and reproduce any parts of it to help other parents in the future understand the transition? I am at jbroderick@montserrat.edu
Jo Broderick
Dean of College Relations
Montserrat College of Art
Hey, good job, the college wants to use your post.
ReplyDeleteSo happy for Amanda!
ReplyDeleteThat dorm sounds like a great fit for her, and of course the college is gonna rock for her! I grew so much in my four years of college, I'm sure Amanda will too, and it sounds like the perfect environment for her.
That is so cool that the Dean of College Relations wants to use your blog post! You are one awesome mom!
Rock on, Linda!
Looks wonderful for Amanda. College will be good for her and you.
ReplyDeletez
How cool that Jo up there wants to use this post! Just another reason why this seems like such a great and nurturing place for Amanda's artistic endeavours! A place that she will hopefully grow as a person and an artist. If Jo is going to use this post, then maybe she should read all the others about the financial struggles too, because I think some parents will more than identify with that.
ReplyDeleteNot sure I like all these other Claire impostors showing up willy nilly! But then again if they make this a great experience for Amanda, I shall arrange a whole Claire army to invade.
What a beautiful house for student accommodation! I have a feeling Amanda is going to L.O.V.E. it there!
ReplyDeleteGood thing about college is that you are enjoying many things about it like friends or new learning. I like the dorm and its surrounding, looks really perfect for new students.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great pleace to live and study. Amanda looks like she'll fit in fine once she settles down.
ReplyDeleteA beautiful house to live in, a gorgeous college, great friends...she'll do just fine:-) Soon she will be so busy with her classes she won't have time to be nervous or shy!! Isn't it funny how our first fear is always "what if no one likes me"?!! I'm just so excited for her, this is such a wonderful time in her life and I have no doubt that she will make you proud:-) Loved seeing all the pictures and how lucky she is to be living in Massachusetts which is so full of history!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteWhat a dorm! Lucky Amanda. She will have a great year. I just know it. You have given her roots, now it is time for her to spread her wings.
ReplyDeleteBig hugs, honey...
WOW!! Time passes too quickly. And I've been away from the blogsphere for waaaaaay too long (again). Best wishes for an excellent year at college, Amanda.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely "Let's Go" Amanda. Seeing someone this talented starting out is exciting for all of us who dream great dreams on behalf of those we love.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific place for her to spend her first year!
ReplyDelete